Technology at Far Brook

Empowering Students Through Thoughtful Integration

by Matthew Mcgowan (Educational Technology Specialist Teacher), Alison Ullrich (Director of Lower School), Adam Bisceglia (Director of upper school)

Lower School: Building Foundational Skills

• Digital Citizenship: Starting in Second Grade, every class participates in lessons on being responsible online citizens. These lessons, adapted for each age group, teach rights, responsibilities, and digital balance.
• Hour of Code: From Nursery 3 through First Grade, students are introduced to coding concepts with engaging, hands-on activities that spark curiosity.
• Second Grade, STEAM and Computational Thinking: Students dive into STEAM,  learning about various computational thinking concepts (such as pattern recognition, decomposition, and sequences)  through engaging activities from the children’s book, Hello Ruby. Following this series of paper-based activities, students begin physical, block-based coding with Osmo’s “Coding Awbie,” and progress to robotics using Dash robots. With weekly STEAM classes throughout the year, these hands-on experiences foster creativity, problem-solving, and an understanding of technology as a tool for thinking.
• Third Grade, Creative Coding and Keyboarding Foundations: Students use Osmo’s “Coding Jam” to create music with code blocks, explore programming with Scratch Jr. on Chromebooks, and code Ozobots with markers and paper. Keyboarding is introduced as a core skill, practiced twice a week in 25-minute sessions. This combination of creativity and foundational skills prepares students for more advanced technology integration in future grades.

Upper School: Deepening Understanding and Responsibility

• Fourth Grade, Expanding Skills and Independence: Students build on their foundational skills with more advanced (app-/block-based) coding projects using Ozobots. Laptops are introduced as regular classroom tools, eventually transitioning to at-home use, teaching responsibility and independence. Students explore cloud computing through Google Classroom and Google Drive, learning about information architecture. The year also features a game design unit using Bloxels, where students practice design thinking and creativity. 
• Fifth Grade, Discovering Physical Computing: Students take a significant step into physical computing with the BBC micro:bit. They work on team projects before moving to individual designs, combining creativity and problem-solving. Technology becomes more integrated into daily learning, with Chromebooks and Google Classroom used across all subjects to enhance collaboration and organization.
• Sixth Grade, Exploring Modular Electronics and Computational Thinking: Students explore modular electronics with littleBits, creating projects like the "Triple Threat Bot," which incorporates multiple sounds, movements, and light displays. Computational thinking is emphasized throughout the year, beginning with a giant paper plane challenge and progressing to computer science concepts using BBC micro:bits. Students also explore Minecraft Education, incorporating coding and virtual reality into their learning. The immersive experience combines creativity, logic, and collaboration, laying a solid foundation for even more complex computational thinking ideas.
• Seventh Grade, Empathy-Driven Game Design: Students engage in an extensive game design unit, using Bloxels, that emphasizes empathy and feedback. They create games through two iteration cycles, incorporating input from classmates to improve their designs. The unit introduces allegory, encouraging deeper storytelling, creativity, and the ability to consider diverse perspectives.
• Eighth Grade, Yearbook Page Creation: Students apply graphic design skills to help produce the school yearbook, a culminating project that combines creativity and technical expertise.